Pieces of the Heart
by KadyAngel
Summary: Dimitri left with Tasha.  Rose broke down, became a robot.  Got assigned to Lissa, but they fought and Lissa told her she never wanted to see her again.  For three years, Rose disappears.  What happens when she comes back?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so again, I start a new story… I am starting **_**way**_** too much. But that's okay.**

**Twitter me. KatrynaWilliams.**

**Anyway, enjoy.**

Rose Hathaway's the name. I'm twenty one years old.

For about three years, I've been hunting Strigoi, killing the evil, immortal vampires.

In my world, there are Moroi, the alive, mortal vampires. Dhampirs, the human-Moroi half breeds, born to protect the Moroi from the Strigoi. Strigoi are the undead, evil, immortal vampires. They are made, not born.

I am a Dhampir. I was born to protect Moroi, and for most of my life, was on the track of becoming Guardian to my Royal Moroi best friend, Vasilisa Dragomir, or Lissa. She's the last Dragomir, the Dragomir Princess. I was to be her Guardian.

But then something happened.

See, when Lissa and I ran away from the academy, we were on our own for two years. And we didn't run into any Strigoi.

Then Guardian Dimitri Belikov and other Guardians brought us back.

Dimitri was my mentor for a good six months. And we fell in love. Or I did, and I thought he had. We'd slept together, and then, a week later, he'd left me, for Tasha Ozera. Lissa's boyfriend's aunt. Lissa's boyfriend was Christian. He was royal too, but he family was shamed, because his parents had willingly turned Strigoi.

See, Dimitri left, no warning, no goodbye, he just left. Alberta Petrov had told me. I had been in love, and we were going to go public after graduation. And the suckiest part of it all? He had left on my birthday. I found out the morning of my birthday. My eighteenth. And that had meant we could legally be together.

I had broken down. Lissa came by to celebrate, but I blocked her out. I had locked my door, hidden in my room. Cried, sobbed, broken down completely. She had walked in, and figured it out. She tried to comfort me, but I couldn't be fixed.

Adrian, Christian, Eddie, and Lissa had tried to put the pieces back together, but they couldn't. I shut them all out, shoved the bond away, put up walls. I almost never ate, became quiet, and removed, got straight A's, threw myself into my training and classes, and did everything I could to be the best student ever. It felt as if my heart and soul had been ripped from my body.

I graduated as valedictorian, and had said a speech. I had been assigned as Lissa's guardian.

Then Lissa and I got into a fight. She told me she never wanted to see me again. Just when I had started to fix myself, pull it together.

So I'd packed a bag, grabbed my trust fund, and left.

I hadn't seen any of them since, keeping Adrian out of my dreams, keeping the bond away from me. I had walled everything up. I had kept everyone away for three years.

I had been traveling around the world. Fighting and killing Strigoi. I am shadow kissed. Lissa uses spirit, and brought me back from the dead.

One of the effects, once practiced, allowed me to know exactly how many Strigoi were left in the world. It allowed me to track them, in a way. Whenever I got close, nausea swelled into my stomach.

When I had started off, there had been more than one hundred thousand Strigoi in the world. Now, there were less than fifty thousand.

A way I had accomplished killing almost fifty thousand Strigoi, was another shadow kissed effect. I could concentrate all of my energy into a black ball of light, of energy. I make it explode, and it literally knocks the Strigoi part of them out of the body. It brings their soul back.

I had saved fifty thousand people. I only killed when I had to. Which was rare, now. The whole ball of energy thing took everything from me, and made me ready to drop, but it was worth it. The bigger the ball, the further it went. The biggest one had been three hundred miles around. I was still going around, trying to get all Strigoi freed.

Today, I was laying in a hotel bed, trying to sleep. I felt overwhelming sadness flow through the bond, even through the walls I had put up. The sadness, it threatened to overwhelm me.

I knew I had to go see her. I couldn't let myself go into her head, I wouldn't want to go to her then. I had to make sure she was okay.

I was maybe two days away. I knew she was at court.

My bags were packed by the door. I took a shower, changed, and darted to the airport.

I took two extremely long flights, and a cab ride to court. I stopped a mile away, paid the driver, and started to walk.

It didn't take long. I ran most of the way, my backpack slung over my shoulders. I crept through the wards, and found a guardian who was walking around.

"Can you tell me where Vasilisa Dragomir lives?" I asked him.

He nodded. "In the big house down there. Walk straight, turn right, turn left, follow the path. You're there. It's got a red door, and it's white," he told me.

I thanked him, and walked the way he told me.

I looked upon the house. It was big, three or four stories. The door was blood red, and there were roses on both sides of the house. The house was snowy white, and the windows were large. There were two cars parked in the driveway. One for Christian, one for Lissa.

My feet led me to the door, reluctantly. I didn't want to do this, but it was too late to chicken out. I rapped on the door.

After a moment, it opened and Christian stood there, dressed in all black. His eyes were irritated, as if he'd been crying.

He didn't see me for a second, he had been looking behind him. He laid eyes on me, and his mouth dropped open.

"Shut your mouth, fireboy. Where is she?" I rasped. My throat was sore, and I was exhausted. I hadn't been able to sleep. I couldn't feel anything but Lissa's sadness since I felt the initial wave. I had strengthened the walls, but it still slipped through, loud and clear.

He blinked. "Is that really you?"

"No. It's Santa Claus," not my best, I admit.

He gave me a hug.  
"Lissa!" he shouted. "Lissa!"

I heard sobbing. "I can't do this!" she shouted.

The sad feeling intensified.

"Come here. Right now!" Christian exclaimed.

She walked out, in a black dress that came to her knees. Her eyes were bloodshot, puffy, and red. Her blonde hair was a mess, but was pulled back.

"I can't, Christian, I just can't do this. This can't be real," she sobbed. "I would have felt it if she—" her eyes rested on me. She froze.

"Hey, Liss. Miss me?" I smiled a weak smile.

She rushed to me, throwing her arms around me. She hugged me tight. I hugged back. Tears ran down her face and mine.

Then she pulled back, and started hitting me. And hitting me. It didn't hurt, I didn't even feel it.

"Lissa. Lissa!" I tried. She didn't stop. I grabbed her wrists.

"Why did you leave? I thought you were dead!" she hugged me again.

There was a knock at the door. Christian opened it.

"How can you be smiling when Rose is dead? Your aura is happy. What the hell is wrong with you?" Adrian's voice was on edge. Christian flung open the door the rest of the way.

I loved their faces.

Adrian looked like he would pass out, and Eddie looked floored. There was another girl I didn't know there. Her brown eyes reminded me of—

I grinned.

"Little Dhampir?" Adrian asked, unsure.

"It's me," I told him. "Can we go get this funeral mess sorted out?"

"You can't go wearing that," Lissa motioned to my clothes. She walked to her closet.

I looked down. My shirt was torn, covered in blood, showing scars from my initial battles.

She threw me a shirt that was too big on her. I made my back face them, and took off my shirt. I was down to my bra, when I heard sharp intakes of breath.

"Rose, what happened to you?" Eddie demanded.

"Shit," I muttered. The scars. "Um, in the beginning, I wasn't so good. So, I was ambushed, by twenty. They used me as a cutting board, because they thought it would be fun. So for three or four days, they cut me up. I was so weak… it was a miracle I got out alive."

"You shouldn't have left," Lissa said.

I had the shirt on. My pants had blood stains, but you couldn't see them. They were black jeans, and they weren't ripped. They were fairly new.

"Can I ask you something?" I tried.

"Yes," Christian nodded when everyone else hesitated.

"Why does everyone think I'm dead?" I asked.

Everyone grimaced.

"Because Alberta, Stan, Yuri, your mother… three days ago, they went on a mission, with tons of guardians. There was a building, it was the middle of the night…" Lissa broke off.

Christian continued for her. "There were Strigoi on the roof. Everyone saw you battling them. There were hundreds. Then, something black exploded, the Strigoi dropped dead, and—"

"And I fell," I finished. "I know. A shadow kissed effect. I had virtually no energy. I'll show you, I'll explain later. I landed on my feet. I was fine."

"They couldn't find a body," Adrian told me.

"I figured as much," I grinned. "Let's go."

"Rose?" the girl asked.

"Yes…"

"Viktoria's my name."

Where had I heard that name? "Yes, Viktoria?"  
"Did you see my brother at all in those three years? We can't find him. I need to find him."  
"Who's your brother?"

"Dimitri Belikov."

My heart stopped. Then it started beating too fast.

"He went missing?" I demanded. "When?"

"He didn't just go missing. He left. In the middle of the night, a week after you disappeared. He left her a note. It said that he couldn't be her guardian anymore, because his heart belonged to you. That he had to find you, and he wouldn't stop until he found you… or until he was dead," Viktoria told me.

My stomach twisted.

"But he left." I said.

"Didn't you get the phone calls? The messages?" Lissa asked.

"What phone calls? What messages?"

"He came here, for a few days. He called you, left you messages, nonstop," she told me.

My phone was in my pocket. I hadn't turned it on since he had left, but I still had it with me. "I never turned it on, not since he left. Did you try calling him?"

"He doesn't answer anymore," Viktoria looked on the verge of tears.

"We're going to sort out the funeral business, then we'll figure this out. I promise," I vowed. We walked to my funeral.

I would never get over that.

We arrived, and the service was already in progress. We didn't want to make a scene, so we went through it all. We'd talk to everyone afterwards.

I walked into the woods, and hid, watching them bury this empty casket. My mother was in the front.

I couldn't watch, so I turned my back. Everyone was so upset. But walking out into the open while everyone thinks I'm dead? That would cause a mass panic. And I knew it. Everyone else was standing there.

It ended, and everyone left. My mother remained. Alberta stood to the side of my grave, but everyone else was gone, when I looked again. Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Adrian, and Viktoria were looking around for me.

I walked into the open. "Mom!" I shouted, running to her.

She turned around, and whipped out her stake.

"Relax! It's me! I didn't die!" I exclaimed.

She looked me up and down, threw down her stake, and ran to hug me.  
Alberta followed close behind her.

"How do we fix this?" I asked, when we were done being reunited.

"I'm not sure. I'll take care of it, Rose," Alberta said, walking off.

I grinned.

"Where were you for the last three years?" my mother demanded. "And how did you kill all those Strigoi? How did you survive that fall?"

"Look, mom, I love you. But right now, I've got a few more things to attend to. We'll have dinner, okay?" I asked.

She nodded.

I walked to Lissa. "Where can I stay?"

"We have a room for you, in case you came back. I bought you stuff, and had your old things shipped here. I'll show you," she said.

I hugged her. "I love you, sis. I'm sorry."

She nodded. "Love you too."

I was in my room. I had listened to the messages on my phone.

The first: _Roza. Kirova found out, she sent me away. She didn't want to have us lose everything. Once you graduate, we can be together. She doesn't want contact, but she doesn't know about your phone. Call me. I love you._

Tears sprang to my eyes.

_I'm getting worried, Roza. Why won't you answer?_

_Where are you? You disappeared! Roza, come back to me. We can be together. You just have to forgive me._

_Roza, it's been a week. I'm going to find you. I promise._  
_Roza? Answer please! It's been three weeks since you disappeared, please, answer. Please. _

_Rose, you need to call me back, even if it's just to tell me you hate me. Please. I'm looking._

_Are you okay? Do you listen to these? I love you, Roza, my Roza. Please talk to me. Answer. It's been two months. I'm still looking. I won't stop till I find you._

I felt horrible. Had I answered…

I cried. Tears flew down my face.

I tried to call. But it went to voicemail.

"Dimitri?" I sobbed. "Please. Call me back. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Please? Just call me. I didn't know you left messages; I just turned on my phone for the first time in three years. Please call me. I love you. I'm sorry."

Disconnect.

I needed to let out my anger. I found my way to the gym. The doors were open.

I started punching. And kicking. I had destroyed the dummy by the time I was done.

I walked to find a secluded area. I ended up at a pond. I sat beside it, the wind blowing my hair out of my face. I shut my eyes, and pulled my knees up to my chest.

The scent of intoxicating aftershave hit me. I thought I was hallucinating. Then I heard that voice I would know anywhere.

"Roza?"

**So… what did you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Like twenty reviews in one night? You guys are awesome!  
Anyway, Twitter me, KatrynaWilliams.**

**Enjoy.**

**Let's recap:**

_I walked to find a secluded area. I ended up at a pond. I sat beside it, the wind blowing my hair out of my face. I shut my eyes, and pulled my knees up to my chest._

_The scent of intoxicating aftershave hit me. I thought I was hallucinating. Then I heard that voice I would know anywhere._

"_Roza?"_

My eyes flicked open faster than they ever had before.

Dimitri was on his knees in front of me.

"Dimitri!" I tried to get up, but stumbled, and almost fell into the pond. He reached out, and caught me. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. Oh, shit. It clicked.

He let me go, and I tripped again. This time, he couldn't save me. My leg let loose a sickening _crack_ when I tried to regain balance and fell on it, and I knew it was broken.

"Roza!" he cried.

"I'm fine," I told him, straightening the leg out.

"You're real? You're dead," he sounded broken. He was dressed in black, his eyes were red. "I was just at your funeral."  
I shook my head. "I'm not dead. It was a mix up."

"We have to get you to the clinic."

I shook my head again, laying my hand on the broken leg. I let a small bit of energy go, into healing my leg. The bones righted themselves. Another shadow kissed effect. I could heal. Myself for sure… others… we'd have to see.

Dimitri crushed his lips to mine. I froze, but then put my arms behind his neck, pulling him close to me. One of his hands gripped my waist, and the other was tangled in my hair. Electricity crackled in the air, and I couldn't stop my reaction. My emotions were off the charts.

I pulled back.  
"I wasn't done," he growled.

"Your sister is here. I bet she's looking for you… wait why didn't I see you at my funeral?" I asked.

He grimaced at the 'my funeral' part. "I kept my distance. Roza, I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"  
"Leaving. Not telling you. Not finding you."  
"Had you found me, there'd be fifty thousand more Strigoi running around."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I killed about fifty thousand. I love being shadow kissed."

"And I love you," he crushed his lips to mine again, and I responded automatically.

"Wait. Your sister," I said.

"Viktoria can wait."

"She's been looking for three years."

"So one more day won't matter."

"I promised I'd help. You see her, you talk… you're done," I said, between kisses. They were hungry, powerful.

We started to walk and kiss. I had missed him, so, so much, that it had hurt. It had felt as if my soul had been ripped out of me when he had left. Almost like I hadn't been able to breathe. I could breathe again now.

We got back to my room, where Lissa was waiting. And Viktoria. And Christian. Adrian.

I walked in, Dimitri trailing me, arms around my waist.

"Dimka!" Viktoria shouted. She hugged her brother.

"I found him," I smiled weakly.

"Rose," Lissa started. "I was so overwhelmed before… I forgot to say sorry. I'm sorry, for getting angry, and saying that… it wasn't right… I just hated seeing you like that, and I was upset—"

I cut her off. "It's okay, Liss!" I hugged her.

We had made up. Dimitri was there. He and I would work it all out… it was going to be okay. It would be alright again. Maybe it would be perfect.

Everyone was happy. They caught up, then they left.

"Explain," I told Dimitri. "Why didn't you…" I took a deep breath, "tell me?"

"Headmistress Kirova had found out. She knew others would find out, and she knew she'd have to fire me, and expel you. She didn't want to do that. So, until graduation, I couldn't talk to you, couldn't see you. Because she knew you'd fight. So I was Tasha's temporary Guardian. I had to do it, for you, for me," he said, leaning against the wall. I sat on the couch in my room. It was a nice room.

He sat in the recliner.  
"How about you?" he asked.

I sighed. "I was… upset. Depressed. I shut my phone down, I didn't turn it on till today. I wouldn't eat, or talk. I became a model student. I was starting to get better. Then Lissa and I got into a fight. She and I both said some things. So I went off, on my own. Shadow kissed effects are great. I can sense how many Strigoi are left in the world. When I set off, there were over one hundred thousand. Now there's about fifty thousand," I paused.  
"You killed fifty thousand?" Dimitri exploded.

_Lissa? _I asked in my head. _Can you hear me?_

_Yeah,_ she responded. _What's up?'  
Bring everyone to my room. I've got something to show you, all of you._

_Okay._

Five minutes later, everyone was there.

I could sense twenty Strigoi close enough for my trick.

"Get ready, I may pass out, but I'll be fine. I may need to sleep it off. Don't interrupt me. This is one of many tricks I've learned, and it's the coolest. By far," I grinned.

I shut my eyes, and flicked into shadow kissed mode. My eyes would glaze over when I did this. I heard gasps as I concentrated my energy. It was a black ball. Not the biggest I'd ever made, by far.

I put my energy into it, and then, let it explode. I watched. It popped, and black shadows overtook everything for a moment. Then, I felt the twenty Strigoi return to their original forms.

"They were returned to their original forms. Human, Moroi, or Dhampir," I smiled. Success.

"Holy shit!" Adrian said, just as Christian said the same thing.

I grinned, and shadows overtook me again. But a different type of shadows. I had fallen asleep.

**So what did you think? Review please. I know it's shorter than the last one, but I should be sleeping soon.**

**Review, please and thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, here's the next chapter. **

**Thank you for the reviews so far. They mean a lot. Really.**

**Just to let you know, I might not be updating this quite so quickly. School starts the 25****th**** of August, orientation the 22****nd**** of August. I'm going to a really hard school, and I'm going to be a freshman in high school! So I'm going to study, swim practice, try to make friends (I'm gonna be the new girl… again, but it was my choice), you know. So, I'll try to update as soon as possible. **

**Anyway, Twitter me. KatrynaWilliams.**

**Enjoy!**

_I could sense twenty Strigoi close enough for my trick._

"_Get ready, I may pass out, but I'll be fine. I may need to sleep it off. Don't interrupt me. This is one of many tricks I've learned, and it's the coolest. By far," I grinned._

_I shut my eyes, and flicked into shadow kissed mode. My eyes would glaze over when I did this. I heard gasps as I concentrated my energy. It was a black ball. Not the biggest I'd ever made, by far._

_I put my energy into it, and then, let it explode. I watched. It popped, and black shadows overtook everything for a moment. Then, I felt the twenty Strigoi return to their original forms._

"_They were returned to their original forms. Human, Moroi, or Dhampir," I smiled. Success._

"_Holy shit!" Adrian said, just as Christian said the same thing._

_I grinned, and shadows overtook me again. But a different type of shadows. I had fallen asleep._

APOV

Holy shit, what the hell was that? Rose had just made a black ball, of energy, and then it exploded. Then she said that any Strigoi within range were turned back to their original form? What the hell.

She had passed out.

"Rose?" Everyone rushed around her. She had said that she was going to pass out, but we hadn't been expecting it to be that quick. She was breathing.

She was okay.

If that really does what she said it does, then she's more powerful than anyone else I know. She's amazing. I knew that before, and yet… now it's changed its meaning.

Her aura. What the hell was up with her aura?

LPOV

"Rose?" I rushed to my best friend's side. She was asleep, or out cold. I wasn't sure, but I was worried about her.

She had said she would sleep, but she looked… wrong. Her aura did, anyway. It looked faded. Like she was dying. But her breathing and heartbeat were going strong. Her aura was completely rid of black, except for the thinnest of rings at the edges. Her aura was becoming more and more strong with each passing moment.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rose?" I asked again.

Christian grabbed my arms.

"Let's go, Lissa. She'll be fine. She said she'd need to sleep, so let's let her sleep," Christian told me. He held my hand, and I kept looking back at Rose as we left. Then, once the door was shut, I kept thinking about if she was alright, and looking back.

What was that? A shadow kissed ability?

What other abilities did she have?

DPOV

I balked when she said she may pass out. But I wasn't going to stop her. She made a ball of black something. She said it was energy, and I believed her. She concentrated, and it exploded. It came at all of us, blowing right through us.

It felt… pure. Oddly enough, the black energy felt pure, healing. I'd had a scratch on my arm, from earlier. I looked down, and it was gone.  
Was it healing magic?

"Rose!" Lissa darted to Rose.

I walked to her too, knowing that she was okay. She wouldn't have done that if it was going to hurt her. I knew it.

Soon, everyone left. It was just me and Rose. I sat beside her, waiting.

RPOV

I was having a nice dream. I was racing Dimitri around the court track, he tackled me, and we were laughing, and kissing. And then… bam! Adrian appeared.

We were on a beach. The sun was shining, and I was in a blood red bikini.

"Damn it! Adrian, what the hell?" I shouted.

"Sorry, little Dhampir. I've got questions. What was that?" he asked, grinning.

I frowned. "Something I learned. I don't know how, but it returns Strigoi to their normal forms."

"And…?" he prompted.

"I don't know!"

"Rose, I had a few broken knuckles. They're all better after that."

"How did _you_ break knuckles?" I demanded.

"I thought you were dead. I went a little… crazy on a tree."

"Poor tree. So… they're better? Do you think I healed them?"

"I'm not sure, Little Dhampir. But I think so. You'll have to practice with Lissa and I now. What else can you do?"

"Um, I'm faster and stronger, and my senses are better, since the other shadow kissed abilities started to surface…" I started. But I didn't want to finish.

"Anything else?" he caught on. I hated that he knew me so well.

I took a deep breath. He was going to hate me for everything I was.

"Bloodlust," I mumbled.

"What?"

"Bloodlust! I crave blood, alright?"  
"So do I. You see ashamed," Adrian came closer to me.

"I'm a Dhampir. I shouldn't want blood. But I do. I shouldn't have these abilities, but I do. Hell, I shouldn't even be alive, but I am! How is this possible?"

"Look, we'll figure it out. I promise. I'll let you sleep," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. Yes, I taught myself how. Finally. "I am asleep."

"Look at you. Finally. You've taken my side."

"Please, just stay. I need company."

We played in the water for hours, just goofing off, talking about light, fluffy subjects.  
"You're waking up," he said.

"I'll see you in a few hours. I need to talk to Dimitri, some more," I smiled. It was a forced smile. I breathed a heavy breath.

"Sure. 'Talk'," he shot back, a grin on his face.

"Shut it, Ivashkov, or I'll kick your Royal Moroi ass into next—"

I didn't get to finish the threat. I was awake. Dimitri was asleep, looking majorly uncomfortable. He was sitting, back against the headboard, neck bent at a strange angle.

I sighed and fixed him.

Then I went to get some food. I would talk to him later. Right now, my stomach was grumbling. Stupid shadow kissed stuff made me hungry.

**What did you guys think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright. Here's the new chapter…**

**Twitter me, KatrynaWilliams.**

**Enjoy.**

So I ate, and then I ran into Adrian. Apparently, he had been hungry too.

"I have a question," he said, when we sat down. We were alone at our usual table.

"Shoot."  
"How do you…" he paused, unsure of how to proceed. "How do you get blood?"

"Um, I had it once. A… friend thought I needed some, and was going to force me to drink it. I thought it'd be nasty, but I… I, um, drank a few things of it. Now I crave it. I'm not sure how to get it, or if I actually _need_ it. But I crave it. I don't have fangs, so how am I supposed to go about getting it?"

"I could get it for you," he offered.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked and was kind of worried.

He grinned. "I mean, I could get it for you."  
"Get what?" Dimitri walked up behind me. I jumped a foot in the air.  
"Jesus! You scared me," I said.

He sat beside me. "What are you up to?"  
"Nothing. What are _you_ doing, Comrade?"

Dimitri ignored my question. "What is he getting you?"

I didn't want to lie. I wanted to tell him everything. But I knew he wouldn't love me anymore.

Adrian saw me freeze. "You caught me. I _was_ going to get her another doughnut. But now, you're here. So you can get it for her."  
Dimitri frowned, and glanced at something across the room. I shot Adrian a grateful look, and he winked.

"Hey, come on," Adrian said. "We've got to go talk to Lissa."

Dimitri started to get up.

"Eat," I told him. "I'll see you later."

He looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Fine, but Roza, later, you have to make it up to me."

"Deal."

I pecked his lips and walked off with Adrian.

"You owe me," he grinned.  
"Yeah, I owe you. Big time. Thank you," I said. "Just… thank you."  
"You have to tell him."

"I know. I'm not ready for it all to come crashing down just yet, though," I told him.

"He loves you. He won't do anything stupid, Rose. I promise. He won't care."

I bit my tongue. I wasn't taking that chance, because even the slightest doubt from him would kill me inside, and then…

Stop, Rose. Just… stop thinking like that! I scolded myself.

"Rose?" Adrian was waving his hand in front of my face, looking confused.

"What?" I snapped.

"Your aura, it just flickered. Is something wrong?"

"What does the flickering mean?" I asked. His face looked worried as hell.

"It means… it means…death? It usually means you're dying, or close to it."

"I'm always close to death, Adrian. Stop worrying, you're making me tense!" I grinned. "The way you people act around me sometimes. I'm fine. Now can we go see Lissa?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he said, "Let's go." He looked a million miles away, lost in thought. I knocked on Lissa's door.

She opened the door, and hugged me.

"Hey, Rose!" she shouted. Then she stepped back. "Adrian," she nodded, smiling.

"Nice to see you, cousin," he nodded back. He looked more composed, and was smiling.

Then Lissa and Adrian grinned, and hugged each other.  
"What was that little exchange about?" I demanded.

"Long story," Lissa smiled. "Come on in. Are you okay? That stunt you pulled scared me half to death! You just passed out!"

"Well, that's just one of many talents. But don't worry, that's normal. I've been tired for a while," I shrugged.

She laughed.

Christian walked up behind her, and put his arms around her waist.

"So, Rose, when did you wake up?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know, Fireboy. It wasn't too long ago," I grinned, and he frowned.

"Rose, you know he hates that," Lissa stage-whispered.

I laughed.

"That's the point," I stage-whispered back. "I've gotta talk to you. Just… keep an open mind," I said as Adrian and I entered the room and shut the door. "And _don't tell Dimitri!_"

Lissa frowned, and confusion came through the bond.  
I was _so_ not used to the bond. I almost missed my walls. But I'd deal.

"What is it, Rose?" she asked, concerned.

"Promise," I whispered. "Promise me."

Lissa nodded. "I promise."  
I looked to Christian, who had sobered.

"Of course, Rose, I promise," he said, waiting for me to speak.

I opened my mouth to speak, but for a second, nothing came out, so I studied the flower pattern on the wall's border.

"Rose?" Lissa asked, worried, confused, and impatient.

I took a deep breath, looking directly into her eyes.

"I need to drink blood," I whispered. "It helps with my powers, and I… crave it. Bloodlust. I don't have fangs, so I have to drink it, but… I can't get it."

I looked up to see their faces.

Lissa looked like she wanted to hug me, Christian just looked like he understood.

"I can help with that," Lissa offered. "I'll get you some."

"Adrian already offered. I'll take it. But… I hate it. I'm Dhampir. I don't have fangs. So why should I have to drink blood?" My voice was barely above a whisper.  
"Because you're shadow kissed, Rose," Christian tried. "Maybe you got more than life from Lissa. We need to figure it out. I'll help you Rose, and I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but you should tell Dimitri. He can help you more than we can."

I shook my head. "I don't want to. What if he doesn't understand? Look, he'll say he understands, but it'll weird him out. I just got him back, I don't want to lose him again!"

"You won't Rose, he loves you. This won't make him back off. I promise. You should've seen his aura when he looked at you, when you passed out. He was so worried, and so in love," Lissa said, looking directly into my eyes. Her jade green eyes saw right through me.

"Tell him, little Dhampir," Adrian demanded.

"Three against one. No fair!" I slumped my shoulders. "I'll tell him. Just… give me a little time. A day or two. How soon can you get the blood?"

"An hour," Adrian said.  
"Take it to your room. I'll meet you there, in _two_ hours. Okay?" I asked.

He nodded.

I hugged Lissa. "I gotta go find Dimitri," I told her.

She nodded.

"Alright," she said. "Later, then."  
I smiled, and walked out to find Dimitri. In two hours, I would be at my most powerful. Because I would have extra blood in me.

The thought made me shiver, but it wasn't sure if it was out of pleasure, or disgust.

**What did you think? Review please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, here's the new chapter. I hope you guys like it.**

**Twitter me, KatrynaWilliams.**

**Anyway, enjoy, and review please.**

_I smiled, and walked out to find Dimitri. In two hours, I would be at my most powerful. Because I would have extra blood in me._

_The thought made me shiver, but it wasn't sure if it was out of pleasure, or disgust._

Dimitri was in the gym. He was beating the crap out of a punching bag.

"Whoa, Comrade, what did that thing do to you?" I joked.

He looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Would you like to spar?"

"Only if you're okay with losing," I grinned.

He shot me a look. "Let's test that."

My shadow kissed abilities made me lethal in a fight. Majorly.

We took our positions, and he lunged for me.

Before he even came close, I was already behind him. I was super-fast, as in, faster than a Strigoi fast, and my senses were just as good as a Strigoi's, if not better.

I slammed my arm into the side of his head, not as hard as I could, but not lightly, either. He stumbled, and I kicked his legs out from under him. He was on the mat, and pinned beneath me. I lifted my hand to his heart, and 'staked' him. "Dead."

"How the hell did you do that?" Dimitri demanded.

"You haven't seen anything yet… wait till I have—" I cut myself off.

"Have what?"

"Have my strength up the whole way. That whole stunt earlier takes a lot of energy," I explained, and I wasn't completely lying. Blood would make me stronger than sleep would.

He caught my lie, I knew he did. But he let it go, knowing I'd tell him later.

"So it's a shadow kissed thing. Isn't that like cheating, Roza?" he asked, as I stood up. He stood too, and raised an eyebrow.

"No. It's gift. I'm allowed to use gifts. That's like saying that Moroi shouldn't use their powers, because _that's_ like cheating."

Dimitri smiled to me. "I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean that it's fair."

"It _is_ fair. I died. I came back to life. I also get darkness. So, when you die and are brought back and bonded to a spirit user, you can get the cool powers too," I told him, jokingly. He frowned. "I wasn't serious Comrade."

"I know," he told me. "It just makes me wonder what else you can do. What consequences come with the powers you have. What you have to do to be at your best."

I frowned. Now would be the perfect time to tell him, I thought, but was I ready for this?

I guess I had to be. "Dimitri, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" he looked confused, and worried.

"I… to be at my best, my most powerful… I need to drink blood," the words fell out of my mouth. Then I froze, waiting for a reaction. My eyes shut tight, and I was waiting for him to tell me he was disgusted, done with me. That he hated me.

"Okay." Dimitri said. "How do _you_ feel about that, Roza?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't telling me he was disgusted, which was a good start. "I don't know yet. Are you okay with this?"  
"As long as you are."

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "Thank you."

He hugged me to him. "For what?"  
"For not… being a jerk. For understanding. Thank you."

He nodded. "You don't need to thank me, Roza. I don't do it all for you. I do it for me too. I love you."

"I love you too," I smiled.

An hour later, I walked to Adrian's, Dimitri following behind me.  
"Rose," Adrian nodded.

"He knows. I told him," I said, answering the unspoken question that flowed in the air between the two of us.

"Come on," Adrian led us to the kitchen. There was an empty bag of blood, and a larger duffel-type bag, that looked weighted down by something. The blood from the empty bag had been poured into a silver cup.

I could smell it, and I wanted nothing more than to drink it. But, I wouldn't drink it with Adrian and Dimitri in the room. No.

Dimitri seemed to get the message.

"We're going to go out here," Dimitri said.

"Yeah. The bigger bag has some more in it. For a while," Adrian told me, and the two of them exited the kitchen.

I picked up the cup, and looked at the liquid contents. It smelled sweet, and the smell clouded my mind. This happened when I hadn't had any, because after last time, I had stopped craving it for a little while. It hadn't bothered me.

I took a deep breath, and brought the cup to my lips.

The metal was cool, but the blood was warm. As soon as it fell through my lips, everything around me disappeared.

The taste was smooth, sweet, and filled the craving I had. It was had some kind of sharp undertone, and was like nothing I'd ever tasted before.

I finished the glass, and my craving was satisfied. I rinsed the glass out, and grabbed the bag from the counter.

Power and adrenaline flowed through my veins, and I darted into the other room, so quickly, neither Adrian nor Dimitri saw me. I snuck up behind Dimitri, and put tapped his shoulder. He jumped.

"How the hell…?" Adrian asked.

"I'm a bit stronger once I have blood in my system. Didn't I tell you?" I smirked.

Dimitri just stared at me.

"You are amazing," he stated, finally.

"Don't I know it," I joked.

Both Adrian and Dimitri rolled their eyes.

"Thank you, Adrian. I appreciate it," I said sincerely.

Adrian nodded. "No problem little Dhampir. I'll see you later," he said suggestively.

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Well, not like I have a choice."

Dimitri looked irritated, and Adrian looked smug.

"I'm leaving now. See you later, Adrian. _Not until tomorrow._" I stressed the last sentence.

He shrugged. "Okay."

That was easy, I thought. Too easy.

Dimitri and I left, and I went to my room, to go to sleep. I was ready to drop. The blood would be in my system for a few days. After sleep, and since I had the blood, I'd be almost unstoppable.

**What did you think?**

**Question for you:**

**What is your opinion on Mia?**

**The first book, she was kind of funny, but a bit of a bitch.**

**The second book, pretty much the same, until the end.**

**And the third book, she's actually pretty cool.**

**I don't remember if she's in the other two. But she's pretty cool, now anyway.**

**Review please.**


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